WITH A FIRE IN SALINAS THAT'S LEFT A WOMAN WITHOUT A HOME RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS. HOWEVER FIRE FIGHTERS SAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE AS THE WOMAN WAS SLEEPING INSIDE WHEN THE BLAZE FIRST STARTED. WITH MORE ON WHAT'S BEING CREDITED WITH SAVING HER LIFE HERE'S ACTION NEWS REPORTER TOM MILLER LIVE IN OUR SALINAS NEWSROOM. ### ROXANNE WHITELEY SAYS SHE WOKE UP TO THE SOUND OF HER BLARING SMOKE ALARM... BUT FIGURED IT HAD BEEN SET OFF BY THE SPACE HEATER SHE LEFT ON... IT WASN'T UNTIL SHE CAME TO HER SENSES AND STARTED TO SMELL AND SEE SMOKE THAT SHE REALIZED SHE NEEDED TO GET OUT. FLAME SHOOT OUT THE ROOF AND WINDOWS WHILE ENGLUFING EVERYTHING INSIDE... THESE THE MOMENTS BEFORE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARRIVE AT THIS HOUSE FIRE ON SALINAS' CALIFORNIA STREET. 28:21 I ran outside and this house is on fire and 28:25 flames are just shooting out of the roof it was crazy 28:28 22:33 It was the strangest smell like something that was really hot 22:37 AS NEIGHBORS REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT DOOR.... ROXANNE WHITELEY IS JUST WAKING UP... INSIDE THE BURNING HOME. 17:02 I didn't even know until the smoke alarm went off 17:06 WHITELEY SCRAMBLES TO SAVE HERSELF AND HER ANIMALS, NOT EASY WHEN YOU OWN TWO BIRDS AND THREE DOGS, LILLY ROSE, FALFY AND YODA. 16:57 People were knocking at my door telling me to get out and helping me with the animals 17:02 ALL MAKE IT OUT AND TAKE REFUGE AT A NEIGHBOR'S HOME. MEANTIME FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVE AND STRUGGLE TO GET THE BLAZE UNDER CONTROL. 25:25 Lots of hidden fire, fire in the attic fire in the walls so very challenging for the firefighters 25:31 SOME CLIMB ONTO THE ROOF AND USE A CHAINSAW TO GAIN ACCESS. WHITELEY SAYS IT'S HERE IN THE ATTIC THAT THE FIRE STARTED. 18:29 The light that I have hanging up there to see in there, that was sparking when I looked up 18:35 BUT WITHOUT THAT SMOKE DETECTOR... WHITELEY LIKELY WOULD NEVER HAVE WOKEN UP. 27:49 Often times we will see poorly maintained or nonexistent smoke detectors and sometimes with very very different outcomes 27:57 THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF PACKED INTO AND STACKED UP IN THIS HOUSE THE FIREFIGHTERS SAY IT WAS HARD TO EVEN WALK THROUGH LET ALONE PUT OUT A FIRE. WHITELEY ADMITS SHE LEFT THE LIGHT ON IN THE ATTIC... SHE HAD A BULB JUST HANGING FROM AN EXTENSION CORD... AND THINKS IT SPARKED AND IGNITED THE FIRE. ALL 23 OF THE CITY'S FIREFIGHTERS WORKING TONIGHT AND EIGHT ENGINES RESPONDED TO THE FIRE ... IT TOOK THEM ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO PUT OUT. ###